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Training a decoy dog

Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2014 9:10 am
by huntindog53
I have a 1.5 year old catahola that I have been hunting coyotes with and have been having limited success the big problem right now is she runs them off when they come in to the call I have tried letting her run loose I have tried having her set with me on the stands nothing seems to work. She knows the game and ether smells them on the way in or sees them and has started to watch the down wind when the call comes on. I'm not sure what to do she is trying to play but the coyotes don't seem to want to maybe it's just the wrong time of year. Anyone have any suggestions?

Re: Training a decoy dog

Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2014 4:00 pm
by Tim Anderson
Try toning the dog back when it greets the coyotes so the coyote comes in after the dog. Best time to use them is denning season, any other time just a hit and miss and better off with out one.

Re: Training a decoy dog

Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2014 4:14 am
by huntindog53
I will try toning her back as she greets them I have been letting her go thinking the coyotes would hook on and come back with her but that doesn't work they just run off. When I started her last winter I would let her roam free while I called and that seemed to work the coyotes would fixate on her and made it easier to shoot them but as she caught on to the game she wants to play. So now I have her sit with me on the stand while I call works ok but she smells them or sees them before I do and it's hard to keep her still I think I will try putting her behind me an see how that works. Anyway this has been a blast and with the nose this dog has I don't think loosing one that's wounded will be a problem. Thanks for your input if you know where I can get more info on doing this let me know where to find it I am fully addicted at this point and cannot get enough can't wait to have one come back with her.

Re: Training a decoy dog

Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2014 1:09 pm
by Tim Anderson
Try getting ahold of Scott Hampton on face book or one of the other hunting forums, maybe he can help you more..

Re: Training a decoy dog

Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2014 6:12 am
by Coyotehunter
So if I understand you correctly you are trying to decoy in the winter.....is that correct? True use of a dog decoy is den work. Do you have correction collars, like those available through tritronics?

Re: Training a decoy dog

Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 11:04 am
by huntindog53
That's correct and I think you are right this time of year the coyotes just run off. So what I have been doing is having the dog sit ether behind or beside me while I'm calling. Yes I do use a Garmin Alpha so I can tell where she is and tone her back.

Re: Training a decoy dog

Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 4:57 pm
by Coyotehunter
Catahoula are a aggressive breed to use as a decoy in the fall and winter. I think a collie would be a better choice that time of year. Easier to train most breeds in June when you have vocal pups and territorial breeding pairs. I am with Tim that this time of year its not always benificial to have dogs on stand. I have had limited success with mine in the fall on older pairs and late February.

Re: Training a decoy dog

Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 11:04 am
by huntindog53
Went out this morning my dog decoyed 4 coyotes in to with in a 100 yards 3 of them really worked with my dog it looked like the videos that I have seen of people doing this. The problem that I was having had to just be the time of year. It looks like the fun just started!

Re: Training a decoy dog

Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 1:45 pm
by Coyotehunter
its the end of breeding season so everyone is pounding out their territory now. dogging will just get better through end of june. April and the first part of may can be slow because the female is getting heavy with pups and later as she puts them in the ground she wont leave them much for the first 2 weeks.

Re: Training a decoy dog

Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2015 9:31 am
by huntindog53
I think you are right on. I can't hunt today but will be back after them in the morning the hides aren't any good now but it is a lot more fun the weather here has been great I can't wait to get out. I bought a new pup that's 4 months old and have been starting her 2 have to be better than 1. thanks for the posts will talk to you later.